Fury and Double
by Gailstorm
Summary: The twins, Molly and James, make their way to New York City and become newsies. This is their adventure
1. The Escape

The rain came down hard on the two miserable figures huddled together to keep warm. Molly and James O'Neil watched their grandmother, their last remaining relative get lowered into the earth. " She wasn't the nicest lady," thought Molly," but at least when she alive James and I could live together." Now they were being told that they had two go live in separate orphanages almost a whole state apart. James must have thinking the same thing because he whispered, " Hey, don't worry nobody is going to split us up. We're twins!" He didn't make me feel any better. I tried to wipe the rain from my face, but it didn't work seeing as every other part of me was wet too. I sighed, and I felt James put a strong hand on my shoulder. We both watched the as the last load of dirt cover our grandmother's grave. 

It had been a week since Grandma had died. James and I were still living in the same house. The money was running out, and we had to make up our minds on what we were going to do. James seemed to think that we didn't have a problem. He had told me over and over again, just like he was telling me now, " There is no problem. We know people around here, they aren't going to let us get split up. Some one will help us out." " Look, brother of mine!" I should. " How many people do you know in this small town really want two kids to feed and look after. Cause I don't know any!" James stood there, his jaw hardening like it does when he's angry and said quietly, " What do you propose we do then" I proceeded to tell him my idea. I had been working on this plan since Grandma died. When my father was still alive, he would always tell us these amazing stories about the stuff he and his best friend did in New York City. His name was Jim Powers and as far as my Dad knew he still lived in the city. Our biggest problem was that, at the moment, James and I lived several states away in Virginia. I figured we could take the rest of the money we had and get train tickets to New York. When we got there we could try to find Powers, and he could help us. Whatever happened it was better than staying here and living in an orphanage.James looked at me like I was crazy, " You're nuts! We'll be stranded in one of the biggest, busiest cities in the country with no money, looking for some guy we don't even know. I don't think so." " We could find work", I said lamely. He yelled at me again, but I couldn't hear every thing he said because I was so angry. So what if it didn't seem very likely at least we would be together in a place where anything could happened. I yelled back," Well I'd rather live in orphanage than be around you any longer, so we can just sit here and let them take us away." I stormed out and ran to my room. I laid on my bed trying to cool down and eventually fell asleep. When I woke up there was no longer any light streaming through my windows so I must've been sleeping for hours. There was a quiet knock at my door. I assumed it was James, so I said, loudly," Come on in" 

The door opened slowly and James swiftly came in with his finger pressed to his lips. I gave him a questioning glance, why did we have to be silent. He whispered, " Listen we have to leave now. They're outside coming to get us." " Who's coming! What is going on?" I said in a normal voice. "Shut up, just shut up", he said as he pulled me off the bed. I noticed for the first time that he had two big bags crammed with full with stuff. " What's that?" I asked. He whispered," No time for that now we've got to get to the train station." He grabbed a bag and I picked up the other one. We went out my window, which opens up to the backyard. James took hold of my hand and we went half running half stumbling all the way to the train station. 

This is my first Newsies fic. The newsies will eventually be in the story. This is just the setup, so readers can know Molly and James' background information. Review and tell me if I should continue. Don't flame too hard, Please. J 


	2. New York City

I don't own the Newsies, but I do own Fury and Double.   
  
  
  
  
  
By the time we got to the train station I was so out of breath that I couldn't say a single. My heart pounded in my chest and I had to sit down. James let go of my hand so he could find the ticket booth. I took that time to look me over and found that my dress was shamefully muddy. It was also torn in several places from all of my stumbling. I heard James talking to the man in the ticket booth. He bought two one way tickets to New York. I leaped up from my seat and ran over to him. I hugged him and said, " So we are going to New York! I knew you'd take my advice."   
He only hung and said quietly, " but now we only have 50 cents left." " It'll be alright", I said to him, " We'll find work, and we'll be together." He put the money in my hands and told me to keep it safe for him. We walked toward train 12 headed to New York City.   
There wasn't enough money to afford very good seats on the train. They were at the very back of the train, by the engine room. It was so hot, almost unbearable, and I would've killed for a cool breeze. The heat made my clothes stick to my skin and the atmosphere was so muggy. I felt my eyelids droop and realized that I was really very sleepy. I looked over at James and saw that he was already asleep. I stopped fighting and sleep quickly claimed me. " Last call New York City. Everybody off", the conductor yelled. I poked James in the side, "Wake up brother, wake up!" He mumbled something and moved around in his seat. I used all my strength and pulled him up. " Hey, James! Quit fooling, we have to get off NOW!!" Still muttering he followed me down the aisle. The middle train compartment had so many people in it. There were men, women, children, and screaming babies packed in every which way from Sunday. James and I had never seen so many people in one place. Everything was so overwhelming completely unlike our small Virginia town. I reached behind me and took hold of James' hand. The hand pulled out of mine and I felt a sharp slap on the back of my head. I turned around to see a middle aged man in a ragged business suit. " Don't hang on me, you crazy lady!", he practically spat in my face. " Sorry, sir", I said embarrassed. The people on the train were pushing like mad to get off and I was swept along with them. I looked back for James, but I couldn't find him anywhere. " James, where are you!" I hollered frantically before I was pushed off the train.   
I watched the exit, my eyes following every person that walked came out. James wasn't one of them. I thought maybe he got off before me so I searched the entire train station. I thought the train was crowded, the station was like a zoo. How was I ever going to find James in this mess? I talked to as many people as possible, and looked in every place imaginable. He was no where to be found. In despair I wondered how I was going to survive in this place without my twin brother. The hour was late, and since I really didn't have anywhere to go so I curled up on a bench outside the station. I fell asleep worrying about my brother. Morning came soon, way too soon for my liking. One minute I was sound asleep and the next I was on the ground. A harsh voice in my ear said, " Hey girlie, you can't sleep here, this is a respectable station. Ain't nobody sleeping on the benches." " Alright, alright just leave me alone", I said back to him. I stood up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I smoothed down my hair and straightened my dress and wondered what in the world was I gonna do. Even though it was early in the morning the station was still full. I figured that since I didn't know where I was in New York it wouldn't really matter where I went. With one last look for James, I walked out into the dark early morning all alone.   
Dazed and overwhelmed, I wandered around. There were so many buildings and they were all so tall. In my old town the buildings were mostly made of wood, so I wasn't quite prepared for all the brick stores. I could've been walking in circles for all I knew where to go. The sun was coming up and I leaned back against a brick wall to watch it. The sky was rosy with reds, pinks, and oranges. I sighed, the sight made me homesick for the stable life I left behind. It was just about the time that I began to feel real sorry for myself when about fifty boys came running out of the building I was leaning against. My curiosity newly awakened I followed the last boy. The boys were clowning around, picking fights, running, laughing, and generally looked like they were having a good time. The running stopped when we reached closed gates. A voice screamed out " Papes for the Newsies!" The gates opened up, and the small square filled up quickly with boys. Still interested, I moved a little closer to see what would happen next. Then in no particular order boys would stand up give money to somebody inside an enclosure and get a stack of newspapers in return. " Ok, now I know what's going on", I said to myself, " they sell newspapers." I smiled for I had just found a means of making money.   
I walked through the gates and was immediately aware of a hundred pairs eyes all watching me. It was quite unnerving, and I almost went back on my resolve to sell papers. Boys moved out of my way as I got closer to the building. Inside was a portly man with gray hair, he wasn't looking my way when I tossed him some money. " Hey kid, how many papes you want", he growled. " Twenty papers, please", I answered. The man looked up at me and a shocked expression overtook his face. " Girls don't sell papes, go find yourself a cleanin' job" he growled again. " Look mister I gave you money, why do you care who sells it?" " Girls don't sell papes, now go AWAY!" The guy was making me mad and my answers got louder. " Give me my papers and I'll make history, okay, creep." He obviously didn't like being called a creep so he had the audacity to call me some very mean names. I screamed, " Give my money back, or give me some papers!" I had a strong urge to punch the wise guy and would have if there had not been bars in the way. My temper doesn't hold up well when I feel threatened. During my fight with the creep I lost all awareness of the boys around me and was severely startled when a hand was placed on my shoulder.   



	3. David and Les

I jumped then twirled around to see who was touching me. I must've looked scared cause the strange boy said, " Hey calm down I only want ta help ya." I stared at him for a minute. He was taller than I was with brown hair and brown eyes. The only thing that could really distinguish him from the other boys was the red bandana around his neck and a cowboy hat. " Ah...er.. My name's Jack Kelly, but some people call me Cowboy." I muttered a quick hello. Then he dodged around me to get closer to the building. Jack called out, " Weasel, you trying ta steal this poor girl's money?" I laughed it figured he'd have a name like that. " I ain't stealing nobody's money kid, girls don't sell papes. It ain't right." Jack moved his face right up close to the bars and said quite menacingly, " Yea, well maybe now they do." With that Weasel threw his hands in the air and gave Jack my twenty papers. " Jist quit holding up the line."   
I turned to Jack to give him my thanks but before I could he asked me what my name was. " My name's Molly O'Neil", I told him quietly. The next thing I know he's yelling, " Hey everybody! There's somebody I want ya ta meet. This here's Molly the first girl newsie in all of Manhattan!" I was royally embarrassed but that didn't stop me from hearing several whoops and the occasional "about time." I heard him ask me if I ever sold papes before. I had to tell him no. He paired me up with two other boys; they were going to be my selling partners. It would only be for a week until I learned the ropes. My selling partners didn't take long to show up. They came together a little boy and a tall one. Their names were Les and David Jacobs. Les, the little one, was cute; I bet he sold lots of papers. David had brown curly hair, blue eyes, and he was very nice to me. I liked the both of them already. I got my very first lesson in selling newspapers, or papes, from Les. He told me, " Look da most important thing you hafta, hafta learn is: Headlines don't sell papes, newsies do." Jack piped up, " Yea, listen ta da kid. He knows what its about." David reluctantly taught me about " improving the truth" obviously a part of the business that he didn't approve of. I, however, found that it was necessary when the headlines weren't so good. The end of the day finally came and between the three of us; we sold all our papes. After spending the entire day walking and selling papers with the pair of them I learned a lot about the city. They told me about the safe places and the not so safe places to go. During the day it was brought to my attention that David was a very smart boy, probably why some other newsies called him the Walking Mouth. I was proud of myself, for I made enough money to sell papes again. All in all the day was successful, except for the sharp pain I'd felt because I had lost James. Thoroughly exhausted and considerably more grubby than I had started out, I trudged back to the square with David and Les to meet the rest of the newsboys.   
I was joking around with my selling partners when a wave of dizziness washed over me. I felt my knees buckle and I reached for the support of a building. I pressed my back to the wall and my breathing came fast and shallow. My stomach rumbled loudly in protest; it was hungry and wanted food now. I took a quick glance around hoping that no one heard my rumbling stomach. It was too late; David squinted at me and asked me if I was hungry. My cheeks turned red and I looked at the ground, praying that he didn't ask me to eat at a place where I would have to have money. I explained to him, " I haven't had anything to eat for about two days now. I really don't have much money either." David smiled at me then said, " No problem, why don't you come home with me and Les, and eat dinner with us." I looked down at Les and he shook his head vigorously. However before I totally gave in to their wishes; I asked, " Are you sure your parents won't mind?" They shook their head no so I followed them home.   



	4. Stolen Shoes

Ch.1 The Escape  
  
  
Stolen Shoes  
  
The square where I'd first met the newsies was called Newspaper Alley. Their apartment wasn't that far away from the Alley. The building was tall and the apartment they lived in was near the top. I didn't know if I could make it up all those stairs. The smells coming from within urged me to continue. It smelled of meat and potatoes something I hadn't had in a long time. David and Les opened the door and we walked inside. Their parents stood up to greet them. His dad had black hair with some gray in it, and he was wearing a sling around one arm. He had a bright smile on his face and greeted his boys with a hug. Their was a slim woman with blonde curly hair and blue eyes. I soon decided that I had never meet nicer parents, excepting my own of course. Sarah, their sister, was a pretty girl with brown hair. David introduced me to all of them, " Hi, I want you to meet Molly O'Neil. She's the first girl newsie in these parts. It is alright if she eats with us right." His parents smiled at me and I sat down at the table. I felt inferior, with my dirty face and clothes eating at their clean table. The feeling passed soon because the Jacobs treated me as one of their own. Mrs. Jacobs put the food on the table and my eyes widened; I hadn't seen that much food in a while. There was salad, baked potatoes, and even meat. It seemed that I had come on a lucky day, it was Mr. Jacob's birthday, and they were having a feast. I ate everything they put on my plate and had seconds; who knew when I get another decent meal. My stomach could no longer hold any more food and I noticed the rest of the family. They were all looking at me not out right staring, just quick awed glances. Suddenly ashamed I looked down at my plate, it was his birthday and here I was eating all his food. Mrs. Jacobs broke the awkward silence and said, " Well Molly, I don't think I've ever met someone who enjoyed my cooking quite so much." The embarrassed quiet broke and everyone started talking like normal. The rest of the evening was most enjoyable. The sun had gone down while I was eating and the streets outside were dark. I stood up ready to leave. I thanked them many times over for the wonderful dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs apologized for not having any dessert. They had eaten it the night before when Jack came to eat with them. I didn't see any need to apologize because I was full enough from dinner as it was. David walked with me down the stairs to the street. Before he went back he asked me, " Hey where are you sleeping?" I told him that I had my own place to stay. I hated to lie to such a nice person but I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me.   
" Where to sleep? Where to sleep?" I thought hard upon this issue as I walked the dim streets near David's home. The place had to be close to the Lodging house so I could wake up in time to sell papers. It would also have to be sheltered to protect me while I was sleeping. I would hate to have someone mess with me when I was defenseless. There was a fire escape one building over from the where the newsboys slept. I climbed up to the second level and found the perfect spot. The second story landing was big enough for me to stretch out and I didn't think anyone would disturb me. Hopefully there wouldn't be a fire, because no one likes to be stepped on especially while they are sleeping. With that I took of my shoes, they were killing my feet. Ladies shoes aren't designed for walking miles; they're made to look pretty. I curled up and went to sleep on the cold metal staircase. Morning would come soon and I would earn more money and look for James.   
The early morning sunlight woke me up and I stretched out, banging my hands on the railings. It wasn't that bad of a night I was only sore in a couple of places. I grabbed onto the railings and pulled my self up. Yawning, I looked down for my shoes. They weren't there. I peered down the stairs to see if I'd kicked them down there during the night. No shoes. I ran down the stairs and checked the ground below, and still no shoes. Someone had stolen my shoes last night. That thought made me uncomfortable, my place wasn't a safe as I thought. What made me really mad was that some stupid person had gone a stolen a worthless pair of shoes that belonged to me. They weren't even pretty or in good condition. To make everything worse the shoes were the only things I had to protect my feet from the weather and the streets. Seething I stormed my way to Newspaper Alley. I'd have to save up to buy me some new shoes. Jack, David, and Les saw me coming and smiled. All three of them waved at me to come over still smiling. The smiles left their faces when they first noticed my furious expression. Jack asked nervously, " Hey, what'sa matta with ya?" The anger bubbling inside me overflowed and I yelled, " Someone stole my shoes that's what. Now I ain't got any shoes and I gotta go around selling papes in my bare feet. That's gonna hurt my feet and the whole thing just makes me mad." Jack stepped back and muttered something I didn't quite catch. Then he said out loud, " How can someone be so angry so early in the morning. The is the second time I've seen yer face as red as yer hair." He cocked his head and looked at me thoughtfully. Then he announced to no one in particular, " Since yer a newsie you gotta have another name. Yer new name is Fury, cause I only know one other person with a temper like yers, and its really not fitting ta call ya Spot. My old name was forgotten and I was known as Fury by all the other newsies. I liked Fury better any way.  
  
  



	5. Lost

  
Ch.5 Lost  
  
Jack told me it wasn't that big of a problem. He said there were some shoes I could have back at the Newsboys Lodging House. He took his papes and started running in the other direction, and Les followed. David gave me this look that said sorry and took off after his brother. I waited in the alley for a minute watching all the other newsies wander around. I didn't know them very well yet, but I wanted to meet all of them eventually. Tired of just standing around I went and bought 20 papes. This time Weasel didn't give me any problems, just glared at me. I could handle glares. I bet I made a pitiful sight. My red hair was pulled back, although some of it had gotten loose and was dangling around my face. My torn clothing, almost rags now, dirty face, arms, and feet completed the picture. Perhaps that's why I sold all but two of my papes before the boys got back. Jack had in his hands a pair of black, scuffed up boots. They were a bit big, but much better for walking. Jack, David, and Les still needed to sell their papes so I told them I'd be fine by myself. That's when I got the brilliant idea to take a walk. I convinced myself that maybe if I just wandered around long enough James would miraculously appear. I closed my eyes and spun in a circle. I opened my eyes and headed in the direction I was facing.   
I passed buildings, alleys, fire escapes, carts, carriages, horses, and most of all people. There were ladies in fashionable dresses escorted by their gentleman friends. Kids played games in the streets; while vendors tried to sell their fruits and vegetables. I was only looking for one thing, the sight of my brother's beaming face amidst the crowds. The harder I looked the more people began to look like James. I had to stop shake my head and rub my eyes. All the searching had affected my brain, so I sat down for awhile. People went by and they all looked so happy. I folded my hands and prayed something I don't normally do. All I wanted was to find my brother, I'd never ask for anything again. Putting in a good word with Him never hurt anybody and there'd be an even better chance of finding James now. Morning left and afternoon took its place. The sun was bright in the sky and my stomach reminded me that it was hungry was again. I went in the nearest restaurant and bought the cheapest thing to eat. I had some bread and coffee. While I ate I noticed that the other restaurant goers were staring at me. Unnerving it was, having all those eyes on you, so I was glad enough to get out of there. For the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening I searched for my twin. Eight o'clock it was, when I realized I was lost. " You don't even know what city you're in. Stupid, stupid, that's what you are", I berated myself. The sun had gone down and once again I was alone in the dark.  
" Enough feeling sorry for yourself," I whispered harshly. An hour later I couldn't take another step. By this time all the respectable citizens of New York were inside. " Probably having a good time too" I scowled. The thing I wished for most was someone else in my situation to talk to, and directions back to Manhattan. My feet were so sore, but I had to keep walking. There just weren't any good places to stop and sleep. " What kinda town is this? They don't even have decent places to sleep." I mused angrily. I was only angry cause I didn't feeling like moving any more. Eventually the stores and buildings grew farther and farther apart. The scenery changed and I knew that I had walked right out of Manhattan. The new city had a different feel to it, the air had a strange yet familiar smell. I sniffed but still couldn't recognize the smell. The further I went the stronger the smell got. Then, boom it hit me. This place smells like FISH. Yep, I was right, because way in the distance I could make out piers. " Finally!", I thought, " Things are looking up." Water lapped up against the docks and it made a peaceful, soothing kind of sound. I sat down on the end of one of the piers and took off my shoes. I stuck my feet in the water and immediately jerked them back out. Shivers went up and down my spine and goosebumps formed on my arms. The water was colder than I imagined. Slowly this time, I eased my aching feet to the water. I uttered a sigh of contentment, cause I hadn't felt this good all day. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against a nearby post.   
  
Meeting on the Docks  
  
Distant voices rumbled above my head. They were strange voices loud and slurred together. Two words came through clearly, " Who's dis?" A sharp kick in the side brought me completely out of my dream like state. Rubbing my ribs I opened one eye and looked up. Above me was a blonde-headed kid with blue green eyes. The kid also had a gold tipped cane. He wasn't so big but the two boys with him had major muscles. I opened my other eye and pulled my feet from the water. My toes had become all wrinkly, must've been sitting there for a while. I'm always loosing track of time. I stood up all the way but I kept staring at my toes. " Who're you?" he repeated. I said nothing. " Real talkative ain't ya" He gave up asking me questions and said, " Me name's Spot Conlon, leader of da Brooklyn newsies." I remembered that name from somewhere. Spot delivered this short speech with a sort of arrogant pride. I didn't hold nothing against him, if I was leader of something big; I'd be the same way. I had to contribute something to the conversation so I said proudly, " My name's Fury and I'm the first girl newsie in the whole of Manhattan." I don't know if he made a face or not for I was still inspecting my feet. " Whatcha doing in Brooklyn then?" I looked him right in the eye and said, " I got lost. I only been in New York for two days, give me a break." He informed me of the time, it was a little past midnight, and I shrugged. I can't do anything about the time. He volunteered to walk me back to Manhattan, but I refused. " Just give me directions" I commanded. All three of the Brooklyn boys gave me look like " this girl must be nuts." Spot actually gave me really good detailed directions. I was preparing to go about my when Spot called out, " Wait a minute." He whispered something to his buddy and he disappeared. He came back carrying a large wooden stick and gave it to me. " Dis will help ya if ya come across any trouble. I don't think any of my boys will miss it. Ain't nobody can say I never helped out a fellow newsie. Say hello ta Jack for me." I yelled out, " Goodbye and thanks!" then ran off in the direction he showed me.   
  
  
* Author's Note- Fury getting lost and winding up in Brooklyn may seem a bit obvious, but just hang on. It is setting up for another chapter. There will be twists I promise.*  



	6. Manhattan My Home

  
  
Ch.6   
  
Despite being tired, I ran most of the way back to Manhattan. If anyone saw me running through the streets that night, I bet they laughed. I hadn't taken the time to properly put on my boots so they were slipping all over the place. I found that running is more difficult when you're holding onto a big stick. Occasionally I would trip over my boots or the stick and fall down getting all sorts of cuts and bruises in the process. It was early morning, before the sunrise, when I graced Manhattan with my presence once again. I thought about all the places I'd gone to sleep in the last thirty-six hours, a fire escape, the docks and decided that just picking a place wouldn't matter much. I dropped to the ground by a rather large building. I stared up at the stars in the sky while the events of the day raced through my head. Just before nodding off an interesting thought came to me. " This city in which I had only been an official resident of for three days was my true home." So there I slept for the entire world to see. Voices again woke me up. I kept my eyes closed this time and listened to the conversation. " Hey! Look here, look here!" I could only assume he was talking about me. " Its that girl from yesterday, remember." Then somebody different spoke up and said, " She ain't moving. I'm getting' Jack." I heard footsteps going in the opposite direction from me. Fingers poked me on the arm and somebody whispered near my ear, " You all right?" Stubbornly I didn't move. Five minutes later there were more footsteps running in my direction. A boy, I think it was Jack lifted me to my feet. I opened my eyes and the bright sunlight made me squint. Four boys surrounded me, two of them I knew. " Why did you have to wake me, I ain't been sleeping for that long." I growled at all of them. Jack looked concerned and David said, "Why are you sleeping out here?" " I got no other place to sleep." I replied simply. They both looked like they were going to question me further, but another newsie came running our way. He whispered something angrily to Jack, then the both of them took off. I shook my head way to much running around this morning. David gave an apologetic goodbye and ran after Jack. Then there was only boy left. He was taller than I was but not by much with blonde hair and green eyes. " My name's Fury, what's yours?" He took off his cap and smiled, " I'm Copper on account of I'm always getting chased by one. Glad ta see you're alright. We'd probably go see what's goin on." "What a morning", I thought as Copper and I ran towards Newspaper Alley.   
  
  



	7. Strike Power

  
Ch.7 Strike Power  
  
The newsies were a gloomy bunch with angry or worried faces and they were all crowding around Jack. He sat in the center of them with Les by his side. Jack had a look of extreme concentration on his face and the others were waiting with baited breath. " If we don't sell papes then no one sells papes." David piped up, " What like a strike?" The idea spread quickly and it made the boys feel that things weren't so hopeless. I wasn't so sure about striking. How was I going to make money if we went on strike? I supposed that I could find different work, but I rather liked the job and the company. David had misgivings too because he took Jack aside for a quick conference. However neither he nor the others wanted to give up the fight to win their rights. The whole matter made me quite uneasy. We were going up against very powerful people who didn't care if we lived or died. Copper, who was still by my side, put a hand on my shoulders and said something in support of the strike. When I didn't say anything in return he looked at me. " Say you alright?" I nodded but Copper didn't believe me. He tried to lead me away so we could sit down some where but I pulled away. I was a newsie just like the rest of the boys and if they were striking then so was I. Pushing through the crowd I made my way up to where Jack, David, and Les were standing. I wanted to voice some of my worries to David; he would understand. I pulled on his arm to get his attention but before I could actually talk to him the boys started cheering. He wouldn't be able to hear a word I said. Jack climbed up the billboard where the headlines are posted and wrote STRIKE really big in chalk. Everyone was still cheering when Jack pushed his way back to David and me. Silence ensued when Jack made to speak again. He and David agreed that what we needed were ambassadors, to let the other newsies know about our strike. Jack assigned different newsies to different cities. He yelled, " Who wants Brooklyn?" Not one soul raised their hand, in fact most of them avoided eye contact with him. " You guys afraid a Brooklyn?" One of the younger boy named Boots yelled back, " We ain't afraid a Brooklyn its just Spot Conlon makes us a bit nervous." Turning my head I saw that no one was going to take Brooklyn so I raised my hand. " I'll go!" I called out. I'd been there before and it wasn't that bad. I figured that I could return the stick Spot had given me. It was really a pain to carry around. " Good, I'll go and David will come too", he said. There was more cheering so I missed what David said to Jack next. Then before I knew what was going on Jack had grabbed Les and me and dragged us towards a fancy building, muttering something about " softening him up."   
  
  
Authors Note- (Next chapter someone new is going to show up. It'll be good. Hold on for one more chapter. I hope you like the story so far.)  
  
  



	8. Back to Brooklyn

  
Ch.8 Back to Brooklyn  
  
Pulitzer's office had to be one of the fanciest, ritziest buildings I've ever been in. The desks were all made from fine woods like mahogany and rosewood. The rugs were plush with such beautiful designs that I hated to walk on them. The office had green plants in every corner ones that I had always imagined would be found in rain forests. It was hard to take in all that extravagant richness. The receptionist's harsh glare brought me back to reality. It made all three of us feel, I'm sure, like we were dirt not even fit to grace the bottom of their shoes. Jack coughed and regained confidence saying, " We need ta talk ta Mr. Pulitzer." The receptionist said in clipped snooty tones, " You need an appointment to talk to Mr. Pulitzer. I don't believe that you have one, be gone." Such arrogant talk obviously offended Jack, which caused him to react in such a way that got us quite roughly thrown out of the office. David and the rest of the newsies stared at us because both Jack and Les were yelling, " Tell Mr. Pulitzer he's gonna need an appointment with me!" David laughed like he knew this was going to happen. The crowd broke up when everyone went to be ambassadors to the rest of the New York. David told Les to go on home, because he didn't want him going to Brooklyn. Then Jack, David and I started on our way to see the famous Spot Conlon. This time the trip was much more fun. I had to two people to keep me company and to joke around with. Things were great. David acted a little nervous and asked once while we were walking if Spot was really dangerous. Jack laughed and so did I, but not out loud cause they didn't know I'd already met Spot. They both tried to ask me questions about where'd I been yesterday afternoon, I didn't answer them. It wasn't any of their business. By late afternoon we were in Brooklyn and Spot's newsies were swimming and playing around on the docks. The leader himself met us, " Hey ya Jacky boy! Hey Mouth!" Then he saw me and said with a smirk, " Just couldn't stay away from ole Brooklyn could ya. I got some business with ya, so don't run off like last night."   
The boys both stared at me with confused expressions on their faces. Spot broke the silence by saying that he had heard that we were going on strike. David and Jack tried their best to convince him that the Manhattan newsies weren't just playing around and that we were very serious. He didn't believe us yet. I was very impatient. What did Spot want with me? He was still talking to them, I began to get bored. I took to looking at the Brooklyn newsies that surrounded us. I turned in a circle passing my eyes over the lot of them when I saw something so familiar it made my heart stop. I caught a fleeting glimpse of short, red curly hair that matched my shade exactly, in the distance. Not thinking, I shouted out in an agonized voice, " JAMES!!" I kept my eyes keenly focused keenly on the red headed figure, and ran after him. I yelled out his name a couple more times, completely interrupting the little meeting that was going on. Now all the newsies were staring at me running like a crazed fool. Barreling through people, I made my way to where he was standing. James stood stock still not even turning around to face me. " James, turn around its me!" I said, trying not to cry. Normally I am not big on crying in front of other people or even crying in general, but I'd been worrying about him for so long. I couldn't wait any more and I tackled him in a big bear hug. Then I did start crying right onto his dirty shirt. I made sure that no one else saw I was bawling like a baby, 'cept my brother. He patted my back, ruffled my hair and said " God, I missed ya Molly." I stepped back, wiped my eyes and began to pelt him with a barrage of questions. " How are you? Where you been? Where'd you go? How did you get to Brooklyn? What happened back at the train station? Have you been eating well? How long have you been a newsie? Did you know I'm a newsie too?" I would have gone on and on but he clamped his hand over my mouth and said, " Hey slow down, I'll answer them all, just slow down." I took his hand and dragged him over to where Spot and the others were standing, gawking at us.   
  



	9. Catching Up

  
Ch.9 Catching Up  
  
Spot looked at the both of us and said, " I see ya found what I wanted ta talk ta ya about." I thought I had never been happier in my life. I made a great big whoop then ran over to Spot and gave him a hug too. I tried to keep my voice quiet, but couldn't and yelled out, " Thank you, thank you, thank you for find my brother!" I then realized that I was practically squeezing him to death, and quickly let go. I mumbled an ashamed, " I'm sorry." I heard him laugh and say, " Hey its alright, its not everyday someone thanks me like that." I could feel my cheeks turning red, and I'll bet he knew just how embarrassed I was. I ignored him and everyone else who was laughing and begged my brother to come back with me to Manhattan. At first he didn't want to because he liked working in Brooklyn. I convinced him to just come for a visit and that he could always go back. He finally agreed, and the four of us said our good-byes to the Brooklyn newsies.   
" James, you can't call me Molly any more. I'm Fury now", I explained to him. We were walking together quite some distance behind Jack and David. They decided that it would be best if were left alone to catch up. James just gave me a look that meant I can call you anything I want. I told him my story starting with getting lost at the station to my being the first girl newsie. He told me how frantic he'd been when we were separated on the train and about the hours he looked for me at the station. James left the station before I did and wandered the streets of Manhattan wondering what to do. On his second day in the city, he stole some food was almost caught by the Bulls. In his attempt to escape from them he got hopelessly lost and walked in different directions until he reached Brooklyn. James had been idly walking down a certain street not particularly looking where he was going and bumped right into Spot. The whole time he was telling me his story I kept thinking how incredibly lucky we were, that everything happened as it did. Spot offered him a job as a newsie and James took it. Later he found out that he was given the job because he looked so much like me. That's how James got his new name, Double, because he was my spittin' image. I asked him if he liked his new name and to my relief he did.  
At first it was hard for us to call each other by our new names but soon the old ones were almost forgotten. Double and I had talked almost the entire way back and my throat was sore from it. We soon caught up with Jack and David; it was about time that they had a formal introduction to my twin. " If you didn't already guess this is my brother, Double. He's a Brooklyn newsie. Is it okay if he sells with me for a few days?" I asked Jack. " Sure, it'll be fine. He can stay at the lodge or where ever you sleep." Jack answered. This brought the conversation back around the subject of where I was sleeping. I didn't know why they were so concerned. Then Double wanted to know too, and if there is anything I can't do its lie to my brother. I couldn't stay at the lodge it was full of boys and the very idea of me staying with them was so improper. The other reason that I avoided the question was the fact that I detest charity out of pity. If I told them they would try to help me and I wanted to make it by myself. The three boys left me out of their next conversation, and I relieved to be out of the spotlight ran ahead of them.   
It was late evening when we returned home. David had to leave us quickly; he was afraid he'd get in trouble for staying out so late. Jack had persuaded Double to come spend the night at the lodging house so he could meet the rest of the boys. I felt a twinge of jealously for I wanted to meet them too. At the door of the lodge I left them to find somewhere to sleep. To add to my mounting problem a gentle rain began to fall. I settled down in a covered alleyway, preparing to make things as comfortable as I could. Resting against a wall I thought I saw a flicker of movement in shadows at the back of the alley. I was just beginning to nod off when a hand clamped down hard on my mouth. An arm went around my waist and hoisted me to my feet.  



	10. The Fight

  
Ch.10 The Fight  
  
I wasn't scared, really, just terribly, terribly startled. The person had so strong a hold around my waist that I could hardly breath. Cautiously he took his hand off my mouth and put his arm around my neck as if to strangle me. I think he was afraid that I would scream, but it was almost impossible to talk. I choked out a hoarse, " What do you want?" My question irritated him and he tightened his grip on my neck. With his other hand he searched the ragged pockets of my dress. " This monster is trying to rob me" I thought wildly. The only money that I had was from selling the papers. I had worked hard for two days to get that much money and nobody was going to take it from me. The man wouldn't find any money in my dress pockets. I had hidden it somewhere else. I decided that it was time for me to fight back. While my captor had a good hold on my neck and waist; he didn't have any control over my arms my feet. He was busy searching other places where money might be hidden when I brought my foot down hard on his. He was so surprised that he let go of me and began screaming obscenities. I realized that the man was drunk and that by hurting I had made him incredibly angry. The man had me trapped in the alley and I couldn't escape to the street without running into him. He roared and came at me with swinging fists. In all honesty I tried to protect myself and I'm almost positive that I punched him good at least three times. I was, however, no match for the creep so he hit and kicked me repeatedly. His fists slammed again and again into stomach and sides. I thought I would die if he didn't stop and was in danger of giving to defeat. In a flash of brilliance I went limp and no longer struggled, because if I no longer looked like a threat perhaps the man would leave. The plan worked and with one final kick to my ribs he stumbled out of the alley. I laid there for maybe thirty minutes just to make absolutely sure that he had gone before I began to stand up. I never made it that far. I uttered a small moan before clutching my hands to my side and fell back to the ground. The newsboys lodge wasn't that far away and I desperately needed my brother. I made my way hunched over with my hands on my stomach to the where he slept. I finally reached the door and banged on it as hard as I could. It wasn't really that hard because all my strength had been spent. I was terrified that no would hear me and I would die right there on the street. It prompted me to start yelling which I did until I gave in to the blackness that was closing in on me.   
I woke up what must have minutes later on a hard floor. For one horrible moment I thought I was still outside in the rain, but the ground felt different, more like boards. In the dim light of the building, which I assumed to be the lodge, I could make out many boys staring down at me. Most of them had sick expressions on their faces and I figured that I was a terrible sight to look at. I noticed that there was someone in the background yelling out orders. I wanted my brother but didn't see him in the crowd of people surrounding me. I felt my head being lifted up and it was put down again on something very soft. I realized that I had my head in someone's lap, but to my surprise it didn't belong to my brother. A low voice whispered by my ear, " Its gonna be fine. You'll be all right. A doctor is coming soon ta help ya." I felt a hand stroke my hair before I passed out again. The second time I opened my eyes I was in laying in a bed covered by warm sheets. There really wasn't anything else in the room except for some instruments and machines I couldn't begin to name. The walls were so white that they hurt my eyes and I knew that I must be in a hospital. I had bandages on my face and I could feel bandages on my sides too. I felt so lonely and small in that room and wished that someone would come to see me. My wish was quickly granted for a young nurse bustled into my room at that exact moment. " Hello" I said in a hoarse voice. She smiled merrily at me and nodded. Curious, I asked, " What exactly is wrong with me?" Her smile vanished while she told me of my injuries. I had a broken rib it seems and several heavy blows to my face and stomach. I then asked her if my brother was at the hospital and was disappointed to learn that he was not. The nurse eventually left my room leaving me to stare at the ceiling. The door opened again and a most unexpected person walked in.   



	11. Visitors

  
  
Ch.11 Visitors  
  
A familiar blonde haired blue-gray eyed boy peeked in at me. In utmost surprise I questioned my visitor, " Spot?" I didn't know why he was here; shouldn't he be in Brooklyn. He was looking at me with such concentration that he didn't hear me. I asked him again, " Spot, why are you here?" He blinked and said, " Well, ya must be okay if yer talking." " Hey, I asked you a question." I said slightly annoyed. " I was the one ta find ya, so its only natural that I see how yer doing?" Spot went on to tell me how he'd found me. He'd had some business and was on his way home, but felt tired and decided to just sleep in Manhattan. He remembered seeing something lying on the steps of the lodge. That was where he found me, he also took me inside the building too. I thanked profusely after learning that he had taken me off of the street. He shrugged and said, " Wasn't nothing." This whole time he had been constantly walking around the room, but finally chose to sit on my bed. He turned his head so he was looking at the wall and said, " We were all pretty worried about ya. Ya didn't look so good when I found ya. I thought ya were dead or somethin'." I had forgotten all about Double. " Is Double wanting to see me? Where is he? " I asked quickly. " Don't get yerself all worked up, he ain't here," was his reply. I buried my head in the pillow so that Spot couldn't see how disappointed I was. It didn't work because he said, " Hey, it ain't his fault. The Manhattan boys are busy soaking the scabbers down at Newspaper Alley. He'll come later I bet." The pain medication was wearing off and I had to end the visit. " Spot, I'm not feeling so good. Thanks for coming to see me, it's kinda boring here. Send Double to see me." He left with waving goodbye.   
Later that day I had more visitors. In the afternoon, at least I think it was the afternoon, Jack, David and Copper walked in. The nurse had delivered some more medication so I was feeling a lot better when they came to talk. Copper sat in the corner chair and watched us talk. Many things had happened since this morning. Jack told me how they had soaked the scabbers and destroyed the newspapers. David wasn't pleased that they had beaten up the scabs, but had a fine time telling me how it was practically snowing newspapers outside the distribution office. I wished I could've been there. They had some bad news to tell me also. The Delancy brothers had soaked one of the newsies and put him in the Refuge. The boy's name was Crutchy. I didn't know who the Delancys were or what the Refuge was, so they had to explain. The Delancy brothers are mean scabs who like to soak people for fun, and the Refuge is a jail for kids. Jack spoke of his plans to free Crutchy from the Refuge that night. I hoped that they were successful. Jack and David didn't stay long, because they had to get ready for the escape. I expected Copper to go with them but he stayed. I was curious why he came and didn't say anything. The entire time he'd been here all he'd done was stare at me. Copper was making me nervous. " Heya Copper, how's it rolling?" I said trying to lighten the heavy mood. I decided to stare right back at him to see how he liked being watched. After a minute of intense staring I noticed that he had the biggest green eyes that I had ever seen. I broke the silence by saying, " What are you staring at me for? Why don't you say anything?" Copper stood up out of the chair and walked over my bed. Gazing down at me he said, " I been trying to think of somethin' ta say, alright? I'm glad ta see yer doing fine." He picked up his hand and patted my head. I knew, right then, that he was the one who had comforted last night. " Thanks Copper for helping me last night", I whispered to him. He bent down and kissed my forehead then ran from the hospital room. The experience both confused me and wore me out. It wasn't however an unpleasant experience. I was beginning to like Copper. A huge yawn escaped my lips, and I knew that my nurse must have given me something else besides just pain medicine. I leaned my head back into the pillow and let sleep claim me.   
  



	12. Newsboy's Lodge

  
Ch.12 Newsboy's Lodge  
  
I spent another long, boring day in the hospital. The second day nobody came to visit me, not even my brother. I was seriously mad at him. If he had been beat up and put in the hospital I woulda been the first person to see him, no exceptions. My injuries felt much better and all my cuts were healing nicely so that evening I demanded to be released from the hospital. The doctor didn't want me to go and tried to persuade me to stay for one more day, but I wouldn't listen. One more lonely day in that room would make me crazy. Once I was actually on the outside again I regretted my hasty decision for my sides and head ached with a dull pain. All my inhibitions about staying with a group of boys were put aside after I was beat up. The streets were no place for girls who didn't know how to fight. If you don't count the night I was attacked I had never seen the inside of the Lodge and was a bit nervous about asking to sleep there. I kept thinking what if they don't allow girls to sleep there, or what if they don't want me to stay there. I knocked on the door and there was no answer. " How rude", I thought, " no one's opening the door for me." I pulled the door open and stepped inside. There was a large wooden desk that took up most of the entryway. Behind it stood a thin man with gray hair and a bowler hat. " Hello?" I said cautiously. " Well you must be better then if you are out of the hospital", the old crooned. " My name's Kloppman. You looked pretty scary the other nights. The boys been worried about you." He sent me up the stairs so I could talk to the guys.   
The biggest room upstairs was the one the newsies slept in. There were rows and rows of bunk beds. All of them were empty because they were all standing in the middle of the room. They were talking in a big circle with their backs to me. I yelled out a hearty, " HI!" Every single boy jumped and spun around with shocked expressions on their faces. " I got out of the hospital early so I decided to come talk to you guys. Is Double here?" Jack told me that Double had some business to do and he would be back later. Then I asked Jack, since he's kinda the leader, if I could stay at the lodge. His positive reply was so quick that my mouth fell open. They were really gonna let me stay here just like that. I hugged him. I realized that I really hug people a lot. He gave me a top bed in the farthest corner of the room. There were several beds over there were empty so I'd have that part of the room to myself. He also showed a nightstand where I could put my stuff, however I own nothing but the clothes on my back. That night I finally met the other newsies. I talked to Race first. His full name was Racetrack and after talking with him for five minutes it was obvious why. He loved gambling, especially betting on horses. Race looked Italian born and had the strongest New York accent out of all the newsies. He agreed to teach me how to play poker. I met Kid Blink next. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with a black eye patch that covered one of them. He was a really big flirt, and was always nice to me. I knew that we'd be friends. Then there was Mush. Mush had brown curly hair and big brown eyes. He made me laugh always laughing and repeating other people jokes. Mush reminded me of my brother that way. Snipeshooter was a younger newsies who liked cigars, in fact, the whole night he had been stealing Race's cigar. I could tell the night was coming to a close because everyone began yawning. I went to bed first pulling the sheets over my head so that they could change. Someone shouted, " All right we're changed now!" I peaked from underneath the covers and sure enough they were all in bed. I looked around to see who else had a top bunk. I saw Jack had one and so did Kid Blink. I yelled, " Goodnight!!" I heard several " goodnights" but even more " shut-ups." After all the comments died someone else said, " See ya tomorrow, Fury!" I looked up to see Copper who smiled at me. He sure was coming in late, it turns out that he had a top bunk too. " Night, Copper" I whispered. I drifted off to that sweet dreamland. It wasn't interrupted all too soon. There was someone getting into the bed below mine. I sat up and leaned over the edge. Double was slipping into bed. He was decidedly filthy. I startled him by saying, " Where have you been?" There was no answer for he was already sleeping. Then I whispered, " Until tomorrow, then."   



	13. Double's Secret

Ch.13 Double's Secret  
  
Early the next morning, and I mean very early, I leaned over the side of the bunk so as to talk to Double. It was about time that we had a serious heart to heart. I wanted to know what he'd been up to and why he hadn't bothered to tell me about it. The bed below was completely empty. I'd been waiting patiently for him to talk to me; to let me in on his little secret and he'd gotten away again. The other boys were still asleep so I took the time to clean myself up. With cold water I scrubbed off all the dirt, filth, and grime that had been collecting on my skin. I was careful not to disturb the bandages around my middle. I washed my hair even thought the water felt like ice. There were no towels anywhere, I know because I searched the whole bathroom for one. My hair was still wet and the temperature was cooler than usual so I "borrowed" a hat from somebody. The hat would keep me warm. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs; they belonged to Kloppman. He whispered to me, " You'd best be going outside now, because I have to wake up the boys." Thanking him,I walked down the flight of stairs and outside. Thirty minutes later they came rushing out of the building just like the first time I saw them. I walked with Mush to a place a couple of streets over. Nuns from a local church gave kids like us free breakfast. It was only coffee and bread but for some it would be the only food they would eat all day. I split my bread roll with a small newsie. He looked about eight years old and didn't talk much. We were sitting together on the steps in front of an apartment building when I spied my brother. Double was drinking coffee and talking to another newsie whose name I didn't know. He saw me, I know he did, but he was still avoiding me. Seeing Double had made me lose my appetite so I gave the rest my breakfast to the kid. He probably needed the food more than I did. My legendary temper kicked in while I marched over to my brother. He wasn't going to escape from me now. I came up from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and I put my hand on his arm. I said quietly, " You have some explaining to do." I kept my voice low so that no one else could here us talking, but Double yelled out, " I have nothing to explain." Then he knocked my hand off his arm. That was the last straw. I gathered up all my strength and pushed him to the ground. Despite my injuries I was fully prepared to soak him. Then I screamed at him, " You can't be like that to me! I'm your sister in case you forgot. You didn't even come visit me in the hospital and practically everyone else did." The last line wasn't exactly true but I was angry. Jack and Kid Blink had to pull me away from him. Kid Blink had my arms behind my back and told me to calm down. Double picked himself off of the ground and said something to Jack. Blink let me go at Jack's request. My brother took me by the wrist in a tight hold and dragged me back to the lodge.   
Mr. Kloppman wasn't at his usual post and I got dragged up the stairs. He stopped in the main room and flung me onto a bed. " Why are you being so mean?" I yelled at him. I turned around on the bed so I wouldn't have to look at him. He sat beside me and I scooted over so that I would not be near him. " Look I'm sorry okay." He said it in a voice that didn't sound sorry at all. I kept my mouth firmly shut; I was not going to talk to him. " If you talk to me I'll tell you where I've been. Please! " " Alright, then tell me" I said coldly. Double seemed nervous and drew a shaky sigh before saying, " I've been trying to find Jim Powers. Remember? That's one of the reasons we came here in the first place." My mouth fell open because I had forgotten all about Mr. Powers. " Why?" I asked. He stood up and walked around the room for a minute before answering me. " I saw you all hurt and everything and.... and I had to do something. You can't live on the streets like that its too hard. I thought that if I found Powers you could live with him or something. He might help us out at the least." My anger diminished because he had done all of this with the best of intentions. I was not going to stop being a newsie, however. I would prove to him that I could make it out here, that is wasn't too hard. I asked him why he didn't tell me about trying to find Jim. He explained that he'd had to travel to bad neighborhoods and didn't want me coming with him. He was right about that, because I would have followed him. He sat beside me again and said," Will you forgive me? I didn't mean to rude. " I shook my head yes, and he continued," Promise that you won't follow me when I go to find Powers today." I wasn't going to promise but he wouldn't let me leave until I did. I realized that I was late for the strike meeting and jumped up to leave. I said goodbye to Double and ran off to Newspaper Alley. Today I wouldn't have time to follow him, but tomorrow I might.   
  



	14. Finding Smudge

  
Ch.14 Finding Smudge  
  
I thought about our conversation as I ran towards the Alley. He had some good reasons for avoiding me after I was out of the hospital, but what about while I was in the hospital. My anger was at him was less but not completely gone. He still should have come to talk to me, but at least he told me his secret. I got there just after the talk was over. Davey was trying to keep people calm and doing his best to prevent them from soaking the scabs. When Jack yelled out, " Let's soak em for Crutchy", the newsies went crazy. It was like a big mob rushing towards the poor scabs with their papers. They turned and beat against the gates hoping that someone would let them in. The gates did open, and out stepped a gang of men with chains and clubs. Race yelled out, " It's a trick", trying to warn us. Copper barreled into me yelling at me to get out. I pushed people trying to get to the exit but it was impossible. The gates to the Alley were shutting and I was locked inside. I made my way to a side wall trying to get out of the main action. The alley had become a war zone and I was in no condition to fight. Copper stayed by me punching and kicking men who came too close to us. He kept repeating, " You shouldn't be here. You're still recovering. You shouldn't be here." He was becoming annoying so I said, " Look, I can't exactly get out so quit saying that." Copper got the point. I must say that we made quite a team. He did most of the fighting, but if he got cornered or out numbered I would pitch in and help. We stayed like that, out of the way, until Brooklyn showed up. I saw Spot's gang pop up on the roofs of the surrounding buildings. Then Spot appeared saying, " Never fear Brooklyn is here." That was the turning point in the "war." Copper was standing by me ready for any attack when I saw something that shocked me.   
In the midst of all the fighting and flying stones from Brooklyn's slingshots I saw a small boy. He looked about four years old, because he was so small. The kid had hair so black that there was almost a blue shine to it. He was going to get killed out there. I wondered how he'd gotten there and knew that he couldn't stay where he was. In a moment's split decision I abandoned Copper and my safety to save the boy. I ran into the mass of fighting boys stopping only to snatch up the little boy. With the boy in my arms I fought my way back to Copper. I think I startled the boy into a state of shock because he didn't object to being carried by a strange girl. The kid made it harder to run which made it all the easier for some goon to give me a vicious blow to my side with his club. I screamed and almost dropped the kid, but Copper came to my rescue. I don't think I've ever seen Copper that mad, and I certainly hope that he never becomes that angry at me. He attacked the goon that hit me and soaked him proper. I carried the kid as far away from the fighting as I could. I set him down, and noticed for the first time that he was crying. I got down on eye level with him and said, " What's your name?" After much sniffling, he replied, " Me name's Smudge." I thought to myself," What an interesting name. I wonder if he's a newsie. He was awful young though." Smudge had a pale skin mostly covered with dirt and blue eyes. He was a cute kid. " Where's your parents?" He began to cry again. I hugged him and after a while the crying stopped. He eventually told me that he didn't think he had parents. He informed me that he was four and a half. I really didn't know what to do with him but he couldn't stay on the streets. He was only four, excuse me, four and a half years, old for crying out loud. " It'll be okay. You can come with me for right now and I will try to find you a new mommy and daddy." He smiled at me and put his small hand in mine. I prayed that I was doing the right thing.  
By the time our talk was over so was most of the fighting. The Manhattan newsies together with Brooklyn's help had pushed the goons back behind the gates. They shut the gates on them. Wild cheering broke out; we had defeated the enemy. The big guys had to notice our cause now. Earlier in the fight, Brooklyn had opened the outer gates so now we were no longer trapped in the alley. Copper, Smudge and I walked back to the street where we met up with Les. The boy was terribly excited and could barely make out the important news. A newspaperman, by the name of Denton, had befriended Jack and David. He believed in our strike and was writing articles in his paper, The Sun, about us. He had invited the newsies to a local restaurant called Tibby's to celebrate. The nice man had even said all the lunches were on him. I grew excited about this because Smudge looked like he needed a good meal and to be honest so did I. The three of us followed Les to the restaurant. It had ceiling fans and real leather seats. Tibby's was the first restaurant I'd ever been too and by my account one of the best. I helped Smudge get dinner first making sure he ate all the right stuff. The poor child probably hadn't had milk in ages. I ate a sausage and bun combination that the boys referred to as hotdogs. After such a large meal Smudge fell asleep his head leaning against my arm. I spent my time listening to everyone talk, and Jack's further plans for the strike. He came up with the idea of a huge rally involving all the newsies in New York. The plan was to cause enough of a stink so that the other papers would have to right about our strike. The celebration was over by evening and Smudge and I headed back to the lodge. The boy needed a bath but he was so exhausted that I put him down to sleep in Double's bed. My brother wasn't going to need it just yet, and he could just share it for awhile. I prepared for bed myself but instead of sleeping I waited up for Double once again. It was close to midnight when Double creeped in. This time I didn't let him fall asleep. I leaned over the side and whispered, " Be careful! You better not wake up Smudge." He opened his mouth like he was going to complain or something but I glared at him. " You owe me and he needs a bed too." I told him. I wanted to catch Double off guard so I quickly whispered, " Where were you really when I was in the hospital?" He uttered a huge sigh muttering, "If you really want to know..." It was all I could do not to start shouting at him. " Of course I want to know" I said coldly. Double was in bed now and was trying very hard to fall asleep. I leaned over some more and poked harshly in the ribs. " Alright, alright. You got me. I was in the Refuge, okay!" He took his pillow and put it over his head. I knew he wouldn't say anymore to me tonight.   
  
(A/N: My character Copper is in the movie Newsies. He is one of the dancers with no speaking parts. You can see him in the song Carrying the Banner. I thought he was cute and decided to make him a part of my story. Oh well, just thought it was cool to know.)  



	15. Revelations

  
  
Ch.15 Revelations  
  
The sun had yet to rise when I woke up the next morning. I wanted to make sure that Double and I got a chance to talk before he disappeared again. I slipped off of the top bunk quietly and sat down beside my brother. I tried to wake him up by gently shaking his shoulder but I should have known better. One time back in Virginia he slept through one of the worst storms I had ever been in. I ended up having to pinch him and poke him awake. I don't like being so harsh with my sibling but sometimes you do what you have to do. He gave me the meanest glare the likes of which I hadn't seen since the time I accidentally broke the watch that our dad had given him. I told him to stop looking at me in that way and that he wouldn't be so grumpy if he had gone to bed at a decent hour. I whispered so as not to wake Smudge," You want to finish what you were telling me last night?" He said," Not especially." I gave him the "look" and said," But you are going to tell me right." Finally he gave in and told me the complete story. What he told me earlier was true; he was looking for Mr. Powers. At first he hadn't known that I was in the hospital because he was spending the night over in Brooklyn. The next morning he heard rumors that I had been hurt and was making his way back to Manhattan to check them out. That's when the trouble started. Since the strike most of the newsies were out right broke and that included my brother. He hadn't had dinner the night before or breakfast that morning. The long walk was only increasing his appetite and he got the bright idea to steal something for lunch. Unfortunately, Double is a rotten thief and was caught by the bulls. He was tried in court then put in the Refuge, and that's why he wasn't there to visit me. I sighed in relief for I had secretly feared he hadn't been there because he didn't care enough to. He gave me a funny look and asked what I was sighing about. I reluctantly told him fearing that he would laugh or something. My brother responded by giving me a huge hug and whispering, " Molly, you really thought I would do that to my own twin!?" I must have struck a nerve because he had called me by my old name. Our early morning meeting had come to an end because it was now time for me to get ready for the day. I asked Double if he would help Smudge get cleaned up. Grudgingly he agreed to do as I asked. I left him to take a shower.   
The only part of being a newsie that I didn't like was having to wear the same dirty grubby clothes day in and day out. The other newsies at least had something different to sleep in. I hadn't earned any money since the strike and I gave in to the fact that I was doomed to wear the same dirty ragged dress until it was over. I am not a vain person but I do like to be clean. I slipped into my dress and put on my boots. To complete the newsie look I wore the hat I had stolen a couple nights ago. When I was finished dressing I heard Kloppman coming up the stairs. I passed him on the way down to the front desk and gave him a cheery hello. The world seemed a bit better today. It took almost forty-five minutes for my brother to get both of them cleaned up. I was afraid that there wouldn't be anything left for Smudge to eat. They came down the stairs last, Smudge burst away from Double and attached himself to me. It was like having a Siamese twin. Together we walked to the where the nuns served the free food. I gave Smudge my piece of bread and had coffee for breakfast. The little kid wouldn't leave my side and I had no idea what to do with him. We sat down some steps nearby and watched the other newsies mess around. There really wasn't much to do in the mornings now that we had stopped selling papers. An idea popped into my head as I sat there. I remembered when I first met Smudge and promised him that I would try to find him a new family. Since I there was nothing else to do now was as good a time as any. I leaned over to ask his opinion," Smudge, you wanna go looking for parents today? We could find you a new mommy." He shrieked," NO!" His wrapped his arms around me. " I want ta stay with you." This worried me because I couldn't care for a four-year-old properly after all I was only fifteen. I hoped that he would warm up to the idea later and was just scared because of all the changes in his life. I ruffled his hair and told him not to worry; we would just find something else to do today. I realized that my brother had gone off again and told myself that one-day I would have to convince him to take me along. It had to be more interesting than watching the newsies play fight in the streets. Copper joined us and we sat there not talking for several minutes. I thanked him for helping out during the fight the day before. I made up my mind to be nicer to him, because he had come to see me at the hospital. He turned and flashed me a bright smile. Then at that particular moment my stomach did something it had never done before. It felt like a thousand jumping beans had invaded my stomach. I blushed which was also not a thing I do very often. Suddenly just sitting by this boy was making me extremely nervous. I picked up Smudge and walked away from Copper. I stole a quick glance back at him and the look on his face was quite discomforting. It was one of sad confusion.  



	16. An Afternoon with Smudge

  
Ch.16 An Afternoon with Smudge  
  
I told Smudge that we were going to take a walk. I went off at a fast clip temporarily forgetting about the kid. I was trying to figure out what had just happened. Suddenly just sitting next to Copper was strange and I didn't know why. I heard a small voice cry out," Wait for me!" I had left the poor boy behind and he was running to catch up to me. When he reached me he was breathing heavily, so I let him ride piggyback style. It took Smudge nearly a block to get his breath back and then he began to ask me some questions. " Fury, how come Copper looked so sad?" I stopped suddenly," What do you mean?" He answered," It was before we went walking. He looked sad like he might cry." I didn't know what to think about that and I definitely didn't know what to tell the kid. " I think I might of hurt his feelings, maybe." I told Smudge. That was the only reason I could think of. The boy fell silent for many minutes. He finally said," I think Copper likes you." I told him not to be silly. The very thought made me blush deep red. " Alright", I told myself," you gotta stop doing this blushing thing." I had done it twice in twenty minutes. I was glad that Double had not been there to see it; if he had I would've been teased for weeks. I continued walking with Smudge on my back. I made up my mind to take him to Tibby's which was nearby. I had a couple of pennies left so I could buy some milk for Smudge. We stepped inside the cool building and sat down on soft leather seats. I knew that the kid was enjoying himself immensely. He sat up proud and tall smiling at all the customers. Milk was probably best for him, but instead I treated him to a Coca-Cola. It was a new beverage invented only three years before but it was surprisingly good. I was certain that he would like it. There we sat for talking on and off about different things. Smudge told me about the marble that Mush had given him that morning. I was having the best time; I hadn't felt this good in quite some time. A girl walked in wearing fancy clothes and I turned to point her out to Smudge. Somebody took that opportunity to sit down next to the kid.  
That boy Spot kept appearing at the strangest times. He had plunked himself right next to the kid like he'd been invited to. " Well this is unexpected. What brings you to Tibby's?" I asked him. He laughed and replied, " I gets hungry just like everybody else." I leaned back against the seat and questioned," Yes, but at the same time as the kid and me? That's a little to coincidental don't you think?" His expression darkened for a minute and then he said," Okay I'll so it's not entirely a coincidence. A little birdie told me ya need something new ta wear." I glared at him and said hotly," I do not need anything from you and I don't see how it's any of your business anyway." He looked me up and down and said smugly, " Well, I don't really mind, but what you have got on is quite revealin'." And then of all the things I could have done like smack him or pour water on him, I blushed. I really need to learn how to keep my feelings from showing so blatantly. " I got things ta do and other people ta see, so I will be leaving ya now. But before I forget..." He slipped a medium sized brown box tied shut with twine from the seat on the table behind him and put it in front of me. " I 'm sure ya will thank me for this later." He ruffled Smudge's hair and dropped some money on the table. He said, " Get the kid a decent dinner will ya", before leaving the restaurant. Smudge reminded me that the big rally was tonight. It was time for us to leave for I had promised Jack and David that I would help them set up for the rally. I paid the bill with my own money, not Spot's, and we walked back to the lodge house. I carried Smudge on my back like before and put the package under one arm. The boy was excited about the present and wanted me to open it immediately. I informed him that it was just clothes and he lost interest almost immediately. One the way home I also decided that I would apologize to Copper for making him upset. He really was a good friend to have and I realized that I didn't like the idea of him being sad about anything. Back at the lodge the atmosphere was filled with excitement, I couldn't wait till tonight.  



	17. The Rally

  
Ch.17 The Rally  
  
The house was bursting with activity. In the lobby people were making signs saying Strike or Unfair, and Kloppman went around checking their spelling. Upstairs the boys were freshening themselves up for the rally. I figured that they really just wanted to make a good impression on Medda, the singer that owns the theater, where the rally would be held. I left Smudge with a newsie named Specs who had taken quite a shine to the kid. He promised me that he would watch him while I got ready. I waited oh so patiently for the boys to vacate the upstairs and at last Kid Blink came trailing down the stairs. I asked, " You the last one up there?" He gave me a huge grin and said, " Sure, now it's your turn beautiful." I scowled at him and continued my way up the stairs. A thought struck and I asked Blink another question, " Have you seen Copper lately, I gotta talk to him." I still needed to apologize to him. Blink informed me that he hadn't seen him all day. Once upstairs I dropped the package, which I had been lugging around all day, onto a bed. I untied the string surrounding the box and tore off the paper. Inside the box was a pale green dress. It wasn't to fancy and as I looked closer it was almost a copy of the dress I had on. For a minute I thought about returning it to Spot but quickly changed my mind. After all he I really needed something new to wear, especially for the rally tonight. I looked down to see that I had a shameful amount of leg showing and decided to keep it. I washed up quick so I could help make signs or something. I slipped into the green dress and tried to make my curly hair look nice. I was tempted to throw the old dress away, but kept in case I had to do something dirty. I hugged myself; it felt wonderful to be so clean.   
I retrieved Smudge from Specs and tried to clean him up bit. He didn't want to leave and wiggled around so much that I only managed to wash his face. We went looking for Jack so he could tell us what to do. I found that the boys had done most of the work while we were away for the afternoon. He advised me to go to Medda's early so that we could get a good seat. I took his advice because the theater was going to full of newsies in less than an hour. He had a boy named West take us to Medda's seeing how I'd never been there before. West was two years older than me and made for pleasant conversation all the way to the theater. He left the kid and I at the door to tend to some other business. It was the first theater I'd ever been in. There were large staircases and balconies. I picked two seats close by the stage. I entertained Smudge by taking him up to the balcony to see the whole view, and up on the stage to meet Medda. She was older woman with fiery red hair like mine. She was real nice to Smudge and told him he could have all the sweets he wanted. We met up with the candy man Tony and the kid filled his pockets with chocolates and hard candies. We returned to our seats as the first trickle of newsies showed up. The rally started when every inch of the theater was filled up with newsies from all over New York. I could see boys from Harlem, the Bronx, and Queens right from my seat. Jack, David and Spot walked to the center of the stage and officially started the rally. Both Jack and David thought it was important for all the New York newsies to stick together. I agreed with them because people just can't ignore that much protest. Our biggest problem was what to do about the scabs. David believed that we had to leave them alone, but most other newsies thought we had to soak them. Spot was one of them, but I believed that he just liked violence. Unfortunately I missed the rest of the speech because Smudge had to go the bathroom. By the time I we got back Medda was on stage. The guys started hooting and howling; behaving like little boys. The song was very uplifting and soon everybody was singing along, even me. Suddenly the bulls burst into the theater and everything went down hill from there.   



	18. Newsies & Police Collide

  
  
Ch.18 Newsies & Police Collide  
  
The cops came swarming from all the exits surrounding us. I had no idea what was going on. The rally was a peaceful demonstration; it had not gotten out of hand. Never before had I seen so many policemen. The boys that were sitting by me began to get anxious and rose out of their seats. Soon the theater was a place of mass confusion with the newsies fleeing from the police. We stayed in our seats because I didn't know what to do. A boy came running towards us and I recognized him as West. He said, " We have to get you out of here." He picked up Smudge and took me by the elbow pushing us through the crowds towards the exit. A cop came barreling through chasing Jack Kelly splitting us apart. West still had Smudge and I hoped that he would get him out safely. I was swept along with the crowd running towards an exit but to cops on horseback reared up blocking the way. We were caught and as far as I knew we hadn't done anything to deserve such persecution. I ran in the other direction heading towards the stage. Behind the huge curtains dozens of people were cramming through a backstage exit and I joined them. I made it out to the street only to find more horses and policemen. I stayed close to the building but a couple boys tried to escape. I took another look and realized that the two boys were Jack and Kid Blink. Blink was helping Jack escape from the police. A cop on a horse caught the back of Kelly's shirt and Blink hit the guy. Jack escaped but the cop turned and smacked Blink across the face with a bobby stick. I stared in horror. How could the police use such brutal force against mere boys? I struggled in vain to keep my temper under control. I heard someone scream and raced off in that direction. It was Copper. He was on the ground surrounded by two policemen. They were hitting him with sticks for what reason I knew not. I hollered what could only be a war whoop and ran at the policemen. The first one was so surprised that I pushed him to the ground before he could react. I felt a blow to my stomach but I didn't stop. I tried to punch the guy but he was too fast and avoided my blows. He hit again his time on the face; I knew that it would leave a mark. I reached around for the other cop's stick and I noticed that he wasn't getting up. I learned later that he had hit his head on the ground so hard that it knocked him out. With the bobby stick in my hand I spun around and hit his head with as much force as I could muster. He fell down too right where he stood. I stood terrified I had just assaulted two police officers. There was a hefty penalty for that crime. I went over to Copper to survey the damage. He had bruises on his face and was bleeding from a cut on his forehead. I yelled, " Copper! You have to get up! We gotta get out of here!"' There was no answer so I shook his shoulder. I sat down beside him and put a hand on his head and whispered, " You're going to be fine." I was there for him just like he had been there for me the night I was mugged. I waited there with him while the police rounded up all the newsies that hadn't gotten away. I was almost weak with relief to find that West and Smudge had escaped. Copper stirred by my side. Groggily he sat up and blinked at what he saw. I put my arm around his shoulder to steady him. He asked me what happened to the police officers laying on the ground by us. I informed him that they had been knocked out cold. Copper tried to get to his feet but swayed so much that I feared he fall and hurt himself some more. I convinced him to stay put, because it wasn't like we could go anywhere. The policemen where preparing to take all of us to the courthouse for disturbing the police and resisting arrest. Another cop walked over to us and put Copper under arrest for assaulting the two men. I bet he never even considered the idea that I had done the evil deed. The men eventually woke up and the third cop lead them away to receive medical attention. He didn't even bother helping Copper who has bleeding heavily. I ripped off the bottom of my dress and held the material to his cut. He sat on the ground with his head leaning against my chest. They came to put him in the police wagon along with Jack. I refused to leave him so the police let me come too. In the dim light I could see that Cowboy had a black eye. We didn't talk much, he just asked me how Copper was. It was on the way to the courthouse that I made up my mind to tell the judge that I had done the assaulting not Copper. When I thought about him locked up in the Refuge a feeling a intense sadness over came me. In fact in one night the entire way I felt about Copper had changed. I think I loved him maybe. I pushed that thought aside because now was not the time for such thoughts. I had to convince the Judge that Copper was innocent.   



End file.
